Raphael Palestino Serpa wrote:
> Hi, I tried to install PostgreSQL Version 8.4.2-1 for Windows XP and
> need a password, I tried some passwords that I used in the instalation
> in the University but didn't work. What can I do? What is the password?
what exactly is asking for this password? was there a postgres
previously installed on this system?
there's two kinds of accounts here... one is the windows user account
used to run the postgres service, its most typically called 'postgres'
and is a totally unprivileged user (can't even log in to the desktop,
all it can do is run a service), and the other kind of user is postgres
database users of which only one is created initially when the server is
installed, also called 'postgres', but the default authentication is
'trust' which doesn't require passwords to connect to postgres.
if postgres was previously installed on this system, there's a postgres
system user already created, and it likely has a very random complex
password. a windows administrative user can reset this with the NET
USER command, like...
NET USER POSTGRES newpassword
and then when you go to install postgres, and it sees the account
already exists, this is the password it wants. this password is
stored (as an encrypted hash) in the windows 'service descriptor' and
used nowhere else.
btw, this isn't a 'bug' at all, using the bug report form was incorrect.